Shadowed Willows
by Spyder Webb
Summary: All his life they were outcasts and nobody would accept him because he was a little different. At least, until now. Welcome to Shadowed Willows Mental Institution. Pairings inside.
1. Chapter One

A little info:  
  
Welcome to Shadowed Willows Mental Institution. Here we are home to over 1000 residents, some with mental disorders, some physical disorders, and sometimes, both. We have had the highest record for mentally ill recoveries in the last decade for the entire United States! [Its too bad we're in Canada, nobody finds the bodies of the 'unsuccessful' recoveries and the fact that people who only have minor problems when they come in, have major and multiple problems when they come out.] Our institution is mainly a place for teenagers because we listen and understand their problems.  
  
Our motto: Come to Shadowed Willows for help, because if we can't help you, you're screwed.  
  
. . .  
  
The story will focus around Malik, Marik (the yami), Ryou, Bakura, Yami and possibly Yugi, and through their eyes you'll find out about the others.  
  
- - -  
  
Pairings: From more important to who the hell gives a rats ass: Marik/Malik x Ryou, Yami x Bakura, Seto x Yugi (kinda), Tristan x Joey.  
  
There are NCS pairings too and possibly Bakura x Ryou pairing making this incest.  
  
Warnings: AU, suffering, mental disorders that will be stated, NCS, yaoi, lemon, lime, incest (Bakura/Ryou). . .that's all for now.  
  
Characters:  
  
Marik/Malik - . . .you'll find out.  
  
Bakura/Ryou - siblings  
  
Yami/Yugi - siblings  
  
Joey/Serenity - siblings  
  
Seto/Mokuba - siblings  
  
Authors Notes: Any questions, feel free to ask.  
  
*italics*  
  
- - -  
  
Shadowed Willows ____ Chapter One  
  
- - -  
  
Case File # 1937485  
  
Subject Name: Ishtar, Malik  
  
Sex: Male  
  
Age: 17  
  
Birth Date: December 23, 1984  
  
Family -  
  
Parents: Father [deceased September 1, 1994] Abasi, Mother [deceased at birth] Habibah  
  
Siblings: Ishtar, Isis  
  
Origin: Egyptian  
  
Disorder: Subject suffers from 'Schizophrenia', see information attached.  
  
Treatment: Taped Sessions with psychiatrist, other treatments TBA  
  
Psychiatrist's Notes: Subject is very confused and withdrawn, was not accepted. Placement with Case File # 4019666 suggested. Will start group therapy with his age group. Subject was signed in by sister (and legal guardian). Subject was at a boarding school he had been attending for several years where 'the incident' happened.  
  
[Attachment]  
  
Schizophrenia - noun - Any of a group of psychotic disorders usually characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and accompanied in varying degrees by other emotional, behavioral, or intellectual disturbances. Schizophrenia is associated with dopamine imbalances in the brain and defects of the frontal lobe and is caused by genetic, other biological, and psychosocial factors.  
  
Subject has created an altar personality, which he refers to as 'Marik', which he has spoken about since he first began to speak.  
  
'Marik' is a darker personality, though apparently has never been violent. When Subject is faced with something he does not want to deal with, 'Marik' comes out to protect him.  
  
Subject is shy and soft spoken where as 'Marik' is outgoing and apparently very loud.  
  
[End attachment]  
  
- - -  
  
A boy with emotionless dark lavender eyes looked around the room that he would be living in for who knew how long. It wasn't a room, it was more like a prison, and he was sure that this is what his sister had sent him to. A prison. And he couldn't even be locked away alone; they had to lock him into this Ra-forsaken place with someone else.  
  
The thin boy sighed to himself as he placed his bag on the empty bed that obviously belonged to him. Whoever he was sharing with was probably crazy and it was just Marik Ishtar's luck that he and his other half would have to be placed with them. "Just as long as they don't try to kill us in our sleep." He mumbled to himself and sat down on the bed.  
  
He sighed to himself, wishing that they were anywhere but here. Why would their sister send them to this place? Actually, that was a dumb question considering what the last year of their life had consisted of. But Marik didn't want to think about that. He was still picking up the shattered remains of Malik's life and carefully piecing them back together.  
  
At that very moment the child within him was terrified. He'd been unhappy at the boarding school because he had been away from his sister except at Christmas. Now, he wasn't allowed to see her at all. She seemed to be the only one who was willing to accept Malik entirely, other personalities as well.  
  
Of course, Marik was pretty sure she thought he was insane.  
  
/ Is it safe? / A soft voice asked timidly, as if there was someone who could hear him.  
  
// Yes. Nobody else is around. // Marik replied and with that handed control over to his other. Immediately, the body, which stood tall and indifferent, slouched and ducked, as if someone would attack him at any moment.  
  
Light lavender searched the room for any hidden dangers, but found it to be empty of any life but himself. Sighing a little in relief, he cautiously sat down on the bed. It was a hard mattress, but Malik had slept on worse. He noticed the other bed, it was unmade and there were personal belongings scattering the sheets. The objects looked to be cards scattered aimlessly.  
  
"Hi." A voice suddenly spoke up, startling Malik into giving control to Marik.  
  
Marik looked at the door and stood up. A boy, who looked no older than ten, stood looking at him, a soft smile on the boy's face. But the boy had not been the one who had spoken. Another boy, brother by the looks of them, stood slightly behind and beside the younger child. Both had unusual hair, black, red and blonde.  
  
"You must be Malik." The taller boy spoke again, the same deep voice as before.  
  
Marik blinked. "Actually, my name's Marik. I'm Malik's. . .other personality." The blonde Egyptian rolled his eyes. He hated the fact that that was what he had been reduced to. Another personality. He was more than just that, he was his own personality. He wasn't Malik at all, why couldn't anyone else see that?  
  
"Schizophrenic?" The taller boy asked, pushing his brother inside the room. Marik sized him up, noticing that he was taller than both of them, but there was something about the other boy who was talking to him.  
  
"That's what everyone keeps saying." Marik replied as he watched the smaller boy run toward the bed and start gathering up the playing cards Malik had noticed earlier. Looking back at the other, Marik crossed his arms.  
  
"You don't agree?" The other smiled, amused.  
  
Snorting Marik shook his head, "Of course not. I'm just as real as Malik is." He replied then looked at the boy again. "You know my name, who are you?" He wondered suspiciously. He needed to know that this boy, and the other were trustworthy. Last time Malik had shared a room with anybody, the result had ended up with them being sent here.  
  
The boy smiled, "I'm Yami Motou." He said, holding out his hand. Marik reluctantly took it and they shook. "This is my little brother Yugi." He said as the smaller boy came back over to his brother and smiled up at Marik. "He is Malik's. . .I mean, your roommate."  
  
Marik had been looking down at the child, but suddenly dropped to his knees to see the child eye to eye. Yugi looked back curiously but did not seem frightened or disturbed. "How old are you Yugi?" He wondered.  
  
Yugi swallowed before opening his mouth. "F-four. . .teen." He replied.  
  
A hand was placed on Yugi's shoulder and both Marik and the smaller boy looked up at Yami. "Yugi suffers from a cognitive disorder. He was poisoned when he was little and has trouble speaking now." Yami said then grinned at his little brother as he ruffled his hair affectionately. "If you run into him and he seems not to remember you, don't take offence. He has an impaired memory and forgets things a lot. But if you're here long enough, he'll learn."  
  
Marik snorted, "We're probably going to die here." He muttered as he got up and brushed the knees of his pants off. "Is there some place we have to be right now? Malik looked up a bunch of places and they seemed to have timed schedules that were followed."  
  
"We do have schedules." Yami nodded, "But Yugi and I are supposed to show you. . .and Malik around today so you get to know the place a little more. If that's alright with you of course." The tri-colour haired boy explained.  
  
Marik looked back at the bed where Malik's bag sat. "Why not? We don't have anything better to do." He shrugged and let Yami and Yugi lead the way. "No offence Yami, but why are you here? You seem pretty normal." Marik spoke as the three of them walked down the hall.  
  
Yami smiled, "Depression." The boy replied. "Comes from a life time of having no friends and people always picking on you." He sighed, though there was still a smile on his face.  
  
Marik nodded, "Know what you mean." He muttered as they stopped suddenly. Marik looked around the room and from all the games situated inside the room, and all the people playing them, he figured that this was the game room.  
  
"This is our game room." Yami said as he led Marik inside. "This is where most of us come during our free time. This isn't actually a mental hospital, so it's not like we're locked in our rooms 24/7." He explained as they joined a group of teenagers sitting around a table.  
  
"Except Bakura." One of them muttered and Marik noticed a small white- haired boy glare at the one who'd spoken.  
  
Yami snarled lightly, "Shut up Kaiba. You know what Bakura being in The Pen means for Ryou." He glared lightly at the older boy. Yami looked at the white - or was it silver? - haired boy compassionately, "Don't worry Ryou, you can sleep in my room tonight, if he's not out by then. I'm sure *Seto* wouldn't mind." He growled, glaring at 'Kaiba' again.  
  
"Who's the new kid?" Seto growled as Yugi sat down in front of him and began shuffling the deck he'd gathered from his bed.  
  
"This is Marik Ishtar." Yami introduced him.  
  
"Marik? I thought his name was supposed to be Malik." A blonde girl replied bored, as she set down one of the cards that looked like the ones Yugi had been shuffling.  
  
"Malik suffers from Schizophrenia." Yami explained, making everyone look up somewhat shocked.  
  
Marik smirked by this reaction. "I'm his other personality."  
  
"Anyway, this is Marik. The ass dueling my brother is Seto Kaiba, he's anorexic, and such a loveable pain in the ass, the boy with the trench coat his Tristan Taylor. He's obsessive-compulsive and probably the only normal one in our little group. The boy he's holding his Joey Wheeler. He doesn't speak, let alone move on his own, so don't expect to have lengthy conversations with him." Yami sighed sadly, "The lovely blonde bitch here is Mai Valentine, she suffers from a dissociative disorder. In other words, there is no physical cause for whatever her problems are; though they are problems none the less. If she forgets your name, she'll remember eventually." Yami promised.  
  
Marik nodded as he looked around at all the people.  
  
"This is Tea Gardner." Yami introduced the only other girl sitting at the table. "She's insane." Yami whispered, "Watch out, if she thinks you're cute, she won't leave you alone." He warned, "And the white-haired kid is Ryou Bakura who suffers from so many things I can't remember them all." Yami smirked as the boy in question flipped Yami off.  
  
Yami chuckled lightly as Ryou went back to the book he'd been reading. "He's mostly manic depressant, bipolar and he cuts himself. He'll probably just be his anti-social quiet self until his brother gets out of The Pen." He shrugged.  
  
"The Pen?" Marik questioned.  
  
"Its where you're sent if you've done something to piss the attendants or doctors off." The boy called Tristan replied. "Bakura's there more often than not." He explained, shifting Joey in his arms.  
  
"Bakura? But wasn't that his last name?" Marik asked, pointing to Ryou.  
  
"Nobody knows Bakura's first name." Ryou explained quietly, Marik noticing the accent he spoke with. "Except me." He muttered then went back to his book.  
  
"Oh. . .kay." Marik quirked an eyebrow. "Are you people always this open with your problems and disorders?" He wondered.  
  
"There's no point in trying to hide anything in here." Seto shrugged as he and Yugi set up their decks of cards the same way. . .Mai and Tea had theirs. "There's no privacy at all and everyone's so caught up in their own problems that they don't care about anybody else's."  
  
// Malik? // Marik wondered if Malik was even listening to any of this. While in control he could easily block the younger boy off, but Marik saw no point in it, as Malik would need to know this stuff.  
  
/ Yeah? / Came the shy reply.  
  
// I think we're in hell. //  
  
- - -  
  
TBC?  
  
- - -  
  
I actually started this in August2002 and it was originally going to be a Seto/Ryou pairing, but me no likes Seto/Ryou (unless someone else wrote it). Besides, my Malik muse bit me because he wanted to be written about. 


	2. Chapter Two

Comments have been taken out.  
  
Hmm.think that's about it. ^_^  
  
A little info:  
  
Welcome to Shadowed Willows Mental Institution. Here we are home to over 1000 residents, some with mental disorders, some physical disorders, and sometimes, both. We have had the highest record for mentally ill recoveries in the last decade for the entire United States! [Its too bad we're in Canada, nobody finds the bodies of the 'unsuccessful' recoveries and the fact that people who only have minor problems when they come in, have major and multiple problems when they come out.] Our institution is mainly a place for teenagers because we listen and understand their problems.  
  
Our motto: Come to Shadowed Willows for help, because if we can't help you, you're screwed.  
  
. . .  
  
The story will focus around Malik, Marik (the yami), Ryou, Bakura, Yami and possibly Yugi, and through their eyes you'll find out about the others.  
  
- - -  
  
Pairings: From more important to who the hell gives a rats ass: Marik/Malik x Ryou, Yami x Bakura, Seto x Yugi (kinda), Tristan x Joey.  
  
There are NCS pairings too and possibly Bakura x Ryou pairing making this incest.  
  
Warnings: AU, suffering, mental disorders that will be stated, NCS, yaoi, lemon, lime, incest (Bakura/Ryou). . .that's all for now.  
  
Characters:  
  
Marik/Malik - personalities.  
  
Bakura/Ryou - siblings  
  
Yami/Yugi - siblings  
  
Joey/Serenity - siblings  
  
Seto/Mokuba - siblings  
  
Authors Notes: Any questions, feel free to ask.  
  
*italics*  
  
- - -  
  
Shadowed Willows ____ Chapter Two  
  
- - -  
  
Case File # 2938471  
  
Subject Name: Bakura, Ryou  
  
Sex: Male  
  
Age: 15  
  
Birth Date: September 2, 1986  
  
Family -  
  
Parents: Father [deceased September 24 1994] Roger, Mother [deceased September 24 1994] Hannah  
  
Siblings: Bakura, Aikanaro [see Case File # 8263402]  
  
Origin: English-Egyptian [Mother was Egyptian]  
  
Disorder: Manic Depressant (Bipolar). Hallucination  
  
Treatment: Group therapy, a sleep sedative drug when subject hallucinates.  
  
Psychiatrist's Notes: Subject has made little progress in the four years he's been here. Very despondent and quiet. Subject has begun to cut again as Case File # 8263402 has been absent. Subject needs something to bring him out of his shell.  
  
[Attachment]  
  
Manic Depression (Bipolar disorder) - This causes the Subject to become excessively involved in multiple projects and activities at the same time. These activities include reading and the Subject has been known to write when he is supervised. It also causes insomnia in some patients; Subject included, and impairs the patient's judgement on simple things.  
  
Hallucination - Subject his known to hallucinate caused by his insomnia. If Subject hallucinates, two sedatives are required.  
  
Subject's parents were killed in a car accident in 1994; Subject was the only surviving member of the crash.  
  
Subject lived with uncle, who is currently in prison for child molestation and child abuse, for three years before being sent to Shadowed Willows Institution as no other family members could be found.  
  
[End attachment]  
  
- - -  
  
Ryou Bakura sighed as he watched Yami Motou leave the room with the new kid so they could finish the tour of the place. Closing the book, after having lost interest when he'd first picked it up, he sighed and pushed his chair back and stood up.  
  
"Going some place without your guardian?" Seto asked without looking up from his dueling hand. Whenever Bakura was gone, Yami would always look out for Ryou, with good reason. But the part that nobody mentioned was the fact that it was also so Yami was never alone. . .  
  
"I'm going to my room to wait for Bakura to get out." Ryou replied coldly, hating Seto to the point of which it caused him pain.  
  
"B-be careful R-Ryou." Yugi turned and looked at his friend, smiling softly. Everyone knew what that meant and Ryou nodded before finally leaving the room, glad that someone cared about his wellbeing, though Yugi cared about everyone.  
  
Quietly, he left the game room and slipped down the hall in socked feet. There were no sessions going on today so most of the population of living residents were all in the game room. That and the Super Bowl had started an hour ago and was playing on the 68 inch TV in the same room.  
  
As he passed by the cafeteria he spotted Yami and the new kid - Malik? Marik? - inside. He continued on his way as a slight panicked feeling grabbed hold of his chest. After reaching the last turn he'd have to take he ran the rest of the way to his room. Quickly, he opened the door and entered, closing the door shut behind him.  
  
The room was clean. Ryou kept it that way and it was sometimes a hard job when Bakura was with him. His brother was a slob and didn't care how messy the room was, but Bakura never complained when Ryou would clean it up. He knew that it was something his brother had to do.  
  
Ryou put the book he'd been reading with the seven others he had started and had yet to finish. The pile of books sitting on the desk, each room possessed, was growing again, he noticed. He seemed to read more when Bakura wasn't around, especially at night. Sometimes he'd spend the entire time reading until it was early morning and the breakfast call sounded. It wasn't hard for him, being an insomniac helped a lot. But fear was also an important factor.  
  
Sighing to himself, Ryou entered the small bathroom and looked around it. It had been important that there was nothing sharp within the room, metal bars even protected the mirror. Bakura, who was sixteen and obviously 'changing' hadn't been allowed to keep a razor with him so he could shave. Of course, this had just meant a little more work for Ryou.  
  
He went over to the light switch. To everyone else it looked like a metal slab drilled into the wall. Ryou placed his thumbnail into the straight screw head and turned, the screw coming loose. With that the metal plate slid away from the light switch and Ryou carefully extracted a shard of glass he'd broken off a window that had been replaced in the game room a few months ago.  
  
He knew everyone knew that he was cutting himself, but nobody knew how he was because they'd searched the room numerous times after having found a new design on his body. Even Bakura couldn't figure it out.  
  
Ryou huddled in the corner behind the door. He'd rolled up his sleeve, revealing the freshly created scabs along harsh red lines. His psychiatrist always asked him why he liked to cut himself. Ryou, of course, had never answered him because he knew the man would never understand. Bakura, the one who knew Ryou the best, could hardly understand. How was this doctor, a man he'd known only the last four years and had met only four times a week, supposed to understand?  
  
Ryou didn't do it for the pain. He had enough of that in his life everyday without the cutting. He also didn't do it because he thought he was ugly and didn't deserve something. In fact he knew he was far from ugly. He did practically all of the cutting when Bakura was in The Pen, and not because his brother wouldn't be able to stop him. When he was separated from the only person he really trusted, he felt dead.  
  
Ryou cut himself as a reminder that he was still alive.  
  
The tip of the glass had just been pressed into an unmarred part of his pale skin when the door to the outside room opened. Quickly, he got up and hid the glass in its place. In his hurry to tighten the screw, his nail broke. Cursing mentally, Ryou washed the small amount of blood the puncture wound had made and pulled down the sleeve to his long sleeved elastic shirt. With that he flushed the toilet, waited a few seconds, then left the room.  
  
An attendant stood at the door and smiled as Ryou stepped out. The attendant's name was Mako. He had a last name, but no resident knew it. Mako was the only attendant anyone liked. He'd been talking to the third occupant of the room, a boy a year older than Ryou, with the same coloured hair, but green eyes.  
  
Ryou greeted the boy with a big hug, where he clung to his brother almost like a leech. Bakura didn't mind though, knowing what to expect when he came back from even a short stay in The Pen. Ruffling the boy's hair affectionately, Bakura turned to Mako who had begun to talk again.  
  
"You need to behave this time." Mako warned, "If you're thrown in The Pen again for the next few months, it'll be a longer stay than normal and you know damn well that I can only do so much to protect Ryou." And with that said, Mako left the room, closing the door behind him.  
  
"I missed you." Ryou mumbled as he continued to cling to the warm body. He'd missed the warmth and protected feeling while Bakura had been gone. Ryou felt safer if Bakura was only in the same room and without his presence, it had been a nightmare.  
  
He felt the arms around him tighten in a slight hug before they relaxed again, but didn't leave his body. "I missed you too. Anything happen while I was gone?" Bakura's voice was deep, and most of the time gruff. But it'd automatically soften when Bakura was speaking to Ryou.  
  
"A new kid came in today." Ryou replied, listening to his brother's heartbeat. "Yami's showing him around." He explained.  
  
"Oh? What's his problem?" Bakura wondered as he leaned against the headboard of his bed, making Ryou spread out across the bed as well.  
  
Ryou hesitated, "Their problem." He corrected and Bakura looked confused.  
  
"You said 'a new kid'. Meaning one." Bakura quirked an eyebrow.  
  
Ryou grinned, "One kid with two personalities." He revealed, nuzzling Bakura's neck. He'd been starved for human contact since Bakura had been gone. He loved being held and touched, but only by his brother. He could stand Yami and sometimes Yugi, but it just wasn't the same.  
  
Bakura nodded as he understood. "A Skizo huh? Haven't had one of those here for a while." He muttered as he ran his fingers through Ryou's soft hair. "Do they have names?"  
  
Ryou nodded, "The personality's name is Marik. The other boy is Malik, but he never showed himself."  
  
"Then Marik is probably protecting the boy." Bakura's hand moved from Ryou's hair to his back. He could feel the old scars and fresh scabs through the light material. "Ryou, I wasn't even gone a week." He lifted Ryou's shirt so he could see the designs of old and new crisscrossing patterns that littered the pasty white skin. Knowing the reason Ryou cut himself, the boy had tried to explain before but Bakura still couldn't understand, Bakura only sighed and pulled the shirt back down. "So. . .what's this. . .Marik Malik person look like?"  
  
"I'm not sure where he's from, but it's not here. He's really tanned, but he has blonde hair and it looked natural, he's also got an accent of some kind. . .kinda like what Mom had. He was wearing this fusia belly shirt with a hood and gold chains. His pants were light cargo pants and they were tight. They fit him, you know? And Marik said that he was the personality. Usually the first person is in charge." Ryou sighed. "Never mind, he was just so. . ." Ryou trailed off, not even knowing where he was going with his thoughts. Well, he knew slightly.  
  
"Cute?" Bakura smirked and then chuckled as Ryou blushed lightly. "Is my baby brother finally attracted to someone? Damn it, and here I was betting you were A-Sexual." The sixteen-year old teased lightly, resting his chin on the top of Ryou's head. "Does that mean I won't be getting my nightly visitor?"  
  
"Aikanaro." Ryou mumbled darkly and Bakura knew he was serious by the usage of his entire first name.  
  
"I know." Bakura nodded solemnly, "Did Keith touch you?" He wondered.  
  
"He tried to." Ryou sighed, "The first night you were gone, he came into the room, but I had Yami staying with me then so he couldn't do anything. Then I just went to stay with Yami." The boy yawned.  
  
"Did you actually sleep while I was gone?" Bakura wondered, moving so he could look Ryou in the face. He took in the bloodshot eyes and the dark bags contrasting with the pale face.  
  
Ryou shook his head to answer the question. "I was too scared to sleep, so I read when I was alone."  
  
Bakura glanced at the dresser at the pile of books. Being bipolar, Ryou always got himself involved in multiple projects. He had once been reading twenty-seven books at the same time and Bakura knew for a fact that he'd never finished one of them. "Seto didn't give you a problem?"  
  
"No." Ryou yawned again as he rested his head against Bakura's shoulder. He felt safe with his brother and he'd learned only to let his guard down when he knew he was safe, and with Bakura he was. Now that his defenses were weakened, his body was beginning to remind him of what he needed, the most important thing being sleep. "He acts mean and all, but he's actually very nice. He really seems to care for-" He yawned, "Yugi."  
  
Bakura snorted, "Even I like Yugi." He muttered then gently kissed Ryou's forehead. "Go to sleep. I won't leave." He promised and Ryou nodded, too exhausted to say another word.  
  
- - -  
  
TBC?  
  
- - -  
  
Hmm. . .well I'd like to point out that I know Mako's last name, it's Tsunami! But the characters don't because sometimes, that can be dangerous. Oh and Aikanaro means 'Hell Fire'. 


End file.
